Beveely eopee



v (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. B. ROPER.

VELOOIPEDE.

No. 332,005. Paten ced Dec. 8, 1885.

IVIIMHHIUI N, PETERs. Pnowumo m hcr. Wlshihglan. n. c,

'(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. B. ROPER.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 332,005. atented Dec. 8, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEVERLY ROPER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,005, dated December8, 1885.

Application filed May 15, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BEVERLY ROPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tricycles, and has for itsobject to facilitate their propulsion by means ofa system of hand andfoot levers and a crank-shaft having two cranks operated from thehand-levers and two cranks operated from the foot-levers.

The further object of the invention is to provide means whereby theguide-wheel oft-he vehicle is better enabled to resist the shocksresulting from contact with an obstruction.

The further object of the invention is to provide means for returningthe steering-bar into its normal position and with it the guide orsteering wheel when moved out of said position for the purpose ofchanging the course of the vehicle.

The invention has for its further object to provide increased facilitiesfor carrying bundles or packages on the vehicle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view, theseat being shown in dotted lines, of my improved tricycle. Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal section thereof, the steering-wheel being shown infull lines. Fig. 3 is a like View showing a modified arrangement of seatfor the vehicle. Fig. 4 isa detached sectional view of the crankshaft,showing the position of the cranks op erated by the foot-leversrelatively to the position of the cranks operated by the hand-levers.Fig. 5 is a detached end view showing the arrangement of thesteering-wheel, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of tion of one of thefoot-levers.

A indicates the frame, which by preference is made of metal, though itmay be made of the upper por- Serial No. 165,626. (N'o model.)

wood, and of such form as to accommodate and support the drivingmechanism and the driver.

B are the main driving-wheels, constructed substantially like the wheelsof vehicles of this class, and are keyed to opposite ends of the drivingor crank shaft 0, that hasits bearings in the side bars of the frame A.The crank-shaft O has four cranks, O C G said cranks being formed on theshaft on opposite sides of a central portion, 0, Fig. 1. The two cranksC, on opposite sides of said central space, 0 are connected with andoperated from foot-levers D. The latter levers are twoarmed leverspivoted on cross shafts or bars A of the frame, the upper arm, D, beingbent, as shown, into the form of a loop, 1, to the .end of which issecured a stirrup, d, for the drivers foot, his heelresting on the bendd of the arm D oflever D. The lower arm, D of foot-lever D is connectedto the corresponding arm, f, ofa two armed lever, F, pivoted to a crossshaft or bar, a, by means of a connecting-rod, F, and the upper arm,f,of lever F is connected by a rod, E, to a crank, O, of shaft 0, theconnection of both foot-levers with the crankshaft being substantiallythe same. i

The cranks O are connected by means of rods H to thelower arm, h, of thehand-levers H, which, like the foot-levers, are also twoarmed levers,theupper arnnh, constituting the lever-arm proper, from which the cranks Gare operated. Saidlevers are pivoted on short shafts or bars A securedto the side bars of the frame, and a short bar, A*, connected with thecross-girt A*.

It will be observed that by the arrangement of foot-levers andconnections and their combination with the hand-levers and connections Ireduce the power required to drive the vehicle to a minimum, as I obtaina much greater leverage in the arrangement of foot-levers described thanby any other arrangement heretofore adopted for this purpose. It will befurther observed, and as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, that therelative arrangement of the cranks is such that the two pairs can neverreach their dead-centers simultaneously, one

pair of cranks being always slightly in the lead of the other pair, or,in other words, when the cranks of the hand-levers have reached one oftheir dead-centers those of the footlevers have passed beyond theirdeadcenters, thus insuring always an easy start of the vehicle.

If desired, all the cranks may be arranged so as to slightly lead oneanother and the same result obtained.

I is the steering-bar, pivoted on the crossgirt A of the frame, and z iare the operatinghandles, )rojeeting laterally from the upper endthereof, to which arms are secured the steering lines or chains K. Atthe foot of the bar Iare secured short studs or pins 2" t, that projectfrom a square enlarged portion, I, of the bar I, on opposite sidesthereof, and L L are springs, one end of which is secured to thec'rossgirt A, while their free ends bear upon the front face of theenlarged part I of bar I. WVhen said bar is turned to steer the vehicle,the studs iimpinge upon the free ends of the springs L and force themaway from the bar, and when the latter is released said bar is returnedto its normal position by the springs, as will be readily understood.

A A are standards, bolted or otherwise secured to the short bars A and AA are like standards secured to the side bars of the frame near its rearend, to which bars is secured the seat M. This seat M has a foot-board,m, that is slotted for the passage of the foot-levers. said foot-boardbeing seated in uprights or standards A A to which it is secured. Theseat M is formed on a box, m, that projects rearwardly over thecrank-shaft, and is secured to a crossgi rt, A, bolted to uprights A.

It will be seen that by the described arrangement of seat a receptacleis provided of quite a great carrying capacity, capable of holding morethan any other receptacle or carrying device heretofore provided forthis class of vehicles, and without interfering in the least with theoperating devices.

Instead of connecting the seat with the receptacle, and supporting thelatter by rigid supports from the frame, the seat may be supported fromsprings and the receptacle may be suspended from the seat, as shown inFig. 3, the seat M being supported at a proper elevation with respect tothe operating-levers D H from springs M, secured thereto and to the sidebars of the frame.

Underneath the seat is secured a rod, N, whose ends have hooks n, fromwhich is suspendeda basket or other receptacle, m, that hangs or mayhang immediately above the central portion, 0 of the crank-shaft, and asthis portion may in practice have a length of nine inches a basket ofthat width may be supported from the seat, and as the latter is at aconsiderable distance above and in front of the crank-shaft acomparatively long and deep basket can be employed, together with a seatthat will hold two persons, or said basket or receptacle may extendquite across the entire vehicle, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

O is the steering-wheel,whose axle rotates in bearings formed in a bailor crosshead, P, to which is secured one end of the steeringrod 0'. Thelatter has cross-arms 0, to which the steering-lines K are secured. Therod 0' is pivoted in a bearing formed between the ends of the side barsof the frame A, as more plainly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In vehicles of this class, which are generally constructed as light aspossible, the steeringrod of the wheel 0 whenever said wheelaccidentally runs against an obstruction is subjected to very severestrain, and is frequently either bent so as to become inoperative orbroken off at a point below its bearings in the frame. To avoid this, Iemploy the following devices: Q is a thrust-bar that is forked, the armsq. of which are mounted on the steeringwheel axle 0 The end of thethrust-bar rides in a slotted segment, J, secured either to the sidebars of the frame A or, as shown, to bracket-arms R, depending from saidside bars. The bar is shouldered on opposite sides of that portion whichlies in the slot of the segment, as shown at q g It is obvious that whenthe wheel 0 runs against an obstruction the shock, instead of beingsustained by the steering-rod O, is taken up by the thrust-bar andtransferred to the slotted segment, so that said rod cannot sustain anyinjury.

Tindicates the guards applied to the ends of the side bars of the frameto prevent the tilting backward of the vehicle. Said guards may bearranged as shown in Fig. 1, and a trailing-wheel,U, mounted thereon, orseparate guards may be employed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to arrange cranks on crank-shaftsso that one crank will lead the other or others; but I am not aware thatsuch arrangements have been applied to the class of vehicles describedin combination with the system of levers set forth. I am also aware thatsprings have been applied to the steering-wheel of this class ofvehicles to bring said wheel into its normal position afterdisplacement. It is obvious, however, that when so applied the springsare constantly subjected to strain at each slight deviation of saidwheel from a straight course, and that such springs in a very shorttimebecome unserviceable.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is l. Thecombination of the crank-shaft 0, having cranks (JOand C 0 of thefoot-levers D, levers F, and connecting-rods F E,the

hand-levers H, and connecting-rods H, as described.

2. The combination, with the steering-wheel O anditheforked bar Q, thearms q of which are mounted on the wheel-axle, said bar having at itsend shoulders q of the slotted seg- I (basket or other,) suspended fromsaid seat, as

mental guide-plate R, as described, for the purshown, and for thepurpose specified. ro pose specified. In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in 3. in a velocipede, afoot-lever, D, having a presence oftwo Witnesses. 5 stirrup, d, and constructed to form a heel-rest,BEVERLY ROPER.

d, as described, for the purpose specified. Witnesses:

4. The combination. with the frame A, W. E. BOULTER, springs M, and seatM, of a receptacle, m, I

HENRY ORTH.

